Articles

The scene at 10 a.m. on Iris Drive was one of tranquillity Saturday morning, contrasting sharply to the bustle of activity nearly 24 hours earlier when a Columbia man was shot to death in his home. Sgt. Stephen Monticelli of the Columbia Police Department said Marjorie F. Leslie, 83, called 9-1-1 at 8:56 a.m. on Friday, stating that she had shot her husband, James R. Leslie, 86, after he tried to attack her with a knife.

When officers arrived at the 1900 block of Iris Drive, they found James Leslie with two gunshot wounds in his upper torso from a .38-caliber revolver, police said. Police recovered the gun from the home and arrested Marjorie Leslie, Monticelli said.

JEFFERSON CITY — A 6-year-old boy suspected of fatally shooting his grandfather with a rifle will be made a ward of the court but will not face criminal charges, a court official said Friday.

Winston Rutledge, juvenile court administrator for Cole County, said he decided against certifying the boy to stand trial for several reasons, including the child’s age. Instead, the boy will be turned over to the juvenile court for treatment and supervision, Rutledge said in a statement.

Residents of Huntsdale are determined to hold the first Lewis and Clark River Festival next summer whether or not they receive a grant from the Missouri Department of Conservation.

The town hopes to draw 1,500 to 2,000 visitors for the two-day festival next June 5-6. Interpretive signs, exhibits, nature walks and boat tours are planned for the event that seeks to educate festival-goers about the Missouri River and Lewis and Clark’s voyage, said Huntsdale mayor, Debby Lancaster.

Bullets and sparks could fly after Columbia City Council members review a report on Monday outlining options for allowing hunting and fireworks within the city.

After reviewing the report, the council could request that city staff draft an ordinance allowing these activities on recently annexed land. There would be restrictions, however, concerning where hunting and shooting fireworks would be allowed.

Mid-Missouri law enforcement officers learned techniques for improving firearms safety and increasing convictions during an all-day seminar Thursday at the Daniel Boone City Building.

The Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms division of Kansas City conducted the presentation. The seminar was part of “Project Safe Neighborhoods,” a program set up by the Justice Department to reduce firearm violence, said Jeffrey Fulton, assistant special agent in charge at the ATF’s Kansas City office.

While it is often overlooked, the ability to produce original research is key to a doctor’s ability to care for patients. On Thursday, the MU School of Medicine showcased its students who conduct research long before they become practicing physicians.

A small group of MU medical students displayed their original research projects at the school of medicine’s annual Research Day.

As part of an ongoing initiative aimed at achieving higher levels of seat belt use, Missouri law enforcement agencies are to beginning another round of their “Click It or Ticket” campaign Monday.

The campaign, which is part of a national effort to increase the use of safety restraints, will run through Dec. 1. Police will emphasize increased enforcement of all Missouri’s traffic laws and have a “zero-tolerance” stance on safety belt laws. The effort is to increase awareness and compliance with these laws.

A group of buildings along North Ninth Street and several downtown properties are one step closer to being placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Missouri Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and the State Historic Preservation Office reviewed and approved the nominations on Friday. Debbie Sheals, a local preservationist, spent several months preparing some of the nominations and documenting the history of downtown Columbia.

The next time MU freshman John Hall wants to watch a movie, he’ll pay to see it.

Recently, Hall downloaded the movie “Freddy vs. Jason” using a peer-to-peer networking software called Kazaa. Not long after that, he was served a copyright infringement notice because he was sharing the movie over the Internet. Because of the violation, Hall was required to attend a class on safe computing, hosted by MU’s Information and Technology Services. “I received a phone call from IATS, and when I called them back, they looked up my name and told me exactly what time I got caught and what movie it was,” Hall said.

Injuries have been as much a part of the Columbia College volleyball team’s season as bump, set and spike. So when middle hitter Jaime Diestelkamp injured her right knee minutes before the end of practice Friday, the Cougars did something they have done all season.

Justin Gage always knew he could play in the National Football League.

One thing he didn’t know was that it would happen this fast and with this much success. Gage, a former Missouri receiver and small forward on the Tigers’ basketball team, enters today’s game against the Rams at Soldier Field as Chicago’s newest big-play threat.

What was supposed to be a showdown between similar quarterbacks turned into a no contest.

Missouri quarterback Brad Smith held up his end of the bargain, but his counterpart, Texas A&M’s Reggie McNeal struggled before giving way to backup Dustin Long in Missouri’s 45-22 win Saturday at Memorial Stadium.